Human Morality

In the exhibition, the goal is to explore the concept of morality from artistic death through the decades. The work to present this theme includes The Triumph of Death by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1562), Death of Marat by Jacques-Louis David (1793), Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp by Rembrandt van Rijn (1632), and Wrongful Execution of the Count by Dirck Bouts (1470-75). These pieces all inhibit the aspects of scientific and humanistic ideas of morality. The presence of reality within the artist’s work evolves with the understanding and appreciation of human existence from a historical view.

The element of morality within The Triumph of Death is capturing the fight of social classes in Europe’s mid-sixteenth century. Peasants, nobles, and soldiers all lay in destruction on the battlefields. This elaborates on the vicious acts of violence that man inflicts upon himself in war. The inspiration for Bruegel’s piece believed to have come from the politics surrounding the Eighty Years War. Bruegel’s Triumph of the Death is painted with oil on panel and has the dimensions of 117 x 162 cm, 46 x 63.8 in. Currently this piece is located in the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain.

Death of Marat by Jacques-Louis David is a political rendering of the murder of Jean Paul Marat. Marat was victim of a violent murder, which he was killed by stabbing while in his bath. His facial composure is of suffering and held with dignity. The document held in Marat’s hand is a gesture from David that suggests that Marat’s unfortunate death was in his efforts to defend his country. David used oil on canvas. The dimensions of Death of Marat are 65 inches x 50 3/8 inches. Many copies of this work currently located in the Phoenix Art Museum.

The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp by Rembrandt is the exploration of medical examinations of death. The subjects in this portrait are watching as the doctor dissects the body of a corpse for science. The dark ambiance of this piece suggests the shadow of death that is within the scene Rembrandt was capturing. Rembrandt used oil on canvas with the dimensions of 169-½ cm by 216-½ cm. Rembrandt’s Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp is located in the Mauritshuis Museum in the Netherlands.

Dirck Bouts’ Wrongful Execution of the Count depicts the mistakenly accused man of rape and his death. This piece by Bouts details the conviction and sentencing of a man wrongfully accused of a heinous crime against a woman is beautifully rendered. Bouts captures the lack of compassion and reason by humanity from the influence of ignorance to the facts of the case. Bout’s work is present with oil on wood panel, with dimensions of 12’11 inches x 6’7 ½ inches and is currently displayed in a museum in Brussels, Belgium.

The collaboration of these varied artists and their rendering can shed new light to the presences of human life and death. History paints a new understanding to the revolution of progression within human conception. Each of these pieces exhibit realistic human qualities that are easily identified, understood, and appreciated. With the help of the museums mentioned above, the exhibition of Human Morality should impact the lives of those who come to the viewing of history’s evident evolutionary ideal of death.

Madonna and Child

The artwork I studied at the Phoenix Art Museum for this assignment was Jacopo Del Casentino’s Madonna and Child. Jacopo Del Casentino painted this work using tempera on poplar panel. The painting was completed in 1335. The portrait is Jacopo Del Casentino’s interpretation of the Madonna and baby Jesus. The piece is in fairly good condition, however the tempera is flaked in close proximity to the panel. The size of the portrait is fairly large and focuses closely on the two subjects. The images are large and centered, allowing the two figures to become the focal point of the panel. There is little symmetry and pattern in this work of art.
The Madonna in the painting is interestingly complex. She is clothed in a black hooded cloak that covers her backside and surrounds her body, while revealing a light-colored garment underneath. The undergarment is light crème in color, trimmed with gold on the collar and sleeves. A small part of her hair is exposed, and a large halo rests on top of her head. The halo is one-dimensional and decorated with a gold leaf pattern, much like a Roman crown, suggesting nobility or royalty. Interestingly, the halo, and gold trim on the collar, are interrupted by a circular shape. Madonna’s face is solemn, calm, and emotionless. Her cheeks are rosy in comparison to her pale skin. Her eyes are longing and empty, a monumental hint of the sacrifices she has endured. The body language she possesses tells the viewer that she is a loving mother. This can be seen by the way her hand is placed on the infant Jesus’ leg and backside.
The infant Jesus, like the Madonna, is very intriguing. The child is small, but has a very manlike demeanor. His face is serious and prominent, with a heavy look in his eyes. The eyes are gazing ahead with raw, emotional sadness, almost predicting the future that lies ahead for him. The halo around his head is similar to the one seen on the head of the Madonna, except the baby’s halo is designed with lighter touch and contains a swirl decorative motif. His clothing is a vibrant orange and red combination. His bare feet are exposed below his dress; his right hand is raised above his head, signaling a command of peace and prayer. In his left hand, he grasps a scroll, signifying the responsibility given to him by his Father: to carry out the word of God to the people.
The background of the portrait is a golden color. Gold makes the other colors seen on images stand out boldly. An altar-like chair is grand and holds the sitting forms of the Madonna and Child. The significance of the large, gold, altar chair suggests the strength and structure of Christianity and how it was based on the life of Christ Jesus and his Virgin Mother of God.
This work is not humanistic or realistic, but rather the artist’s impression of the popular subject of the Mother and Child. The folds seen in the clothing are barely noticeable, and are very unrealistic. When looking closely at the cloak of Madonna, one can see only a blob of color on her frame. The images and details are clearly organized and very appealing to the inspecting eye. Underneath the cloak of the Madonna, a red floral or star-like shape appears to come through the dark black tempera of Jacopo Del Casentino’s brush.

Blog Assignment 2

The artists, Hubert and Jan van Eyck have a great showcase of the naturalism element in their art and also use extreme detail and expression within the subject of their art. Persons, plants, and animals are realistically rendered and contain apparent detail within their natural existence. In the Ghent Altarpiece, Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, naturalism is evident in many ways. In the lower piece of the triptych, the landscaped scene is continuously running horizontally through the panels as if each are not separated by a frame. The stance of the horses on the textured ground faces the direction of the cloak-draped people kneeling before the mystic lamb. The way the folds of the clothes appear so realistic, is truly amazing. Another feature of the work is the use of atmospheric aerial perspective. The image in the background appears further away, making it seem real to the viewing eye. This element can also be seen in Jan van Eyck's, Double Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his wife, Giovanna Cenami. In this portrait, the couple is facing forward in what resembles a bedroom. What is great about this portrait is the fine detail that is not apparent to the naked eye. The light shining in from the window provides natural illumination in the background. The man is positioned closest to the window showing his place in society, the worldliest of the male. The woman is placed on the interior side of the image, emphasizing her place is in the home. This can be interpreted as a sign of her duty as the domestic partner. Both are elements of the natural order of the day at that time in history. The couple is larger, they are placed in the foreground of the scene. Behind the center figures is a candelabra and a mirror, both appearing smaller in proportion to subjects in the foreground. Inside the mirror, are two images, which is said to be witnessed to the betrothal of the couple. Such a small details create big impacts in support of the realism of this dedicated work.

Blog Assignment 1

Hey everyone,

I am Erica. Currently, I am a sophomore here at ASU West well at least I was the last time I checked my credit status. When I started at ASU I was strongly convinced that I was destined to be a psychology major, but my intro to psych class freshman year told me otherwise. So now I am undecided, but not completely without direction or faith, just not exactly sure what it is I want to do.

From this course I hope to have a better understanding of Art. I hope to be able to look at an artist's work and know what their purpose was and what they want the spectator to understand. The most important thing I hope to accomplish is appreciation for an artist and their work.

My mother has a degree in Graphic Design, and has always influenced my interest and introduced me to art from a very young age. However I was not graced with talent of an artist, but I have always had an interest in the subject. She has taken me to countless museums and numerous galleries for as long as I can remember. The most memorable and influencial time was when she brought me to a showing of Monet here in Phoenix. I was probably ten or eleven, and it was the last place I wanted to be. But to my surprise I was drawn to the paintings, the colors, the sceneries, and just couldn't quite get enough. And that excitement has yet to fade.

So I hope this course brings more to my love for art!